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Wakefield's Will Butler (56), Matt Yovanovich (90) and Moises Ramirez (53) leave Garner's field following the Wolverines' 21-17 loss Friday night. For Yovanovich and Ramirez —both seniors — the playoff defeat marks the end of their high school football careers.
An emotional end is inevitable
November 16, 2009
By Tommy Kopetskie, NorthRaleighSports.com
By the end of the season, all but eight football teams in North Carolina — the respective NCHSAA state champions are exempt — will share the same exact ending the Wakefield program experienced following Friday's 21-17 loss at Garner.
What is the ending? Well, the head coach — in this case, the Wolverines' J.D. Dinwiddie — addresses his players following the conclusion of the squad's final game, extending well-deserved gratitude for years of service. It is at that moment the seniors realize their playing days have come to a close, and and tears will inevitably appear.
(In this scenario, there is always another team celebrating in the not-too-far distance which always adds to the heartbreak.)
The players who get emotional are undoubtedly the guys who often worked the hardest and enjoyed playing the most. Kids you saw shrug off injuries and battle throughout the season because the game means so much. Those who gripped the hardest, have the toughest time letting go, right?
For Wakefield, there were more than a handful of upperclassmen, including Michael Gubbins, Moises Ramirez and Dexter Trosclair, wiping away moisture from their eyes.
And similar scenes were replayed all over the state Friday, and will carry on throughout the playoffs.
I wasn't there, but I'm sure the graduating members of the Millbrook football team felt the same as Wakefield's following the Wildcats' loss at Fuquay-Varina Friday. It was surely felt two weeks ago at Sanderson's finale against Broughton, too.
"It's the end of a chapter for some of us," Dinwiddie told his group. "And it's a beginning of a chapter."
For most, they were probably thinking how fast this chapter went by.
Later Dinwiddie acknowledged he hates the end-of-the-year speech — for the obvious reasons.
Friday was especially tough because the Wolverines had every right to believe their season would continue on. That was prior to the Trojans scoring two touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the game to erase a 10-point deficit, and pull out the come-from-behind victory.
The highlight of Dinwiddie's speech for me — and a great piece of insight — came when he talked about how the season should be viewed.
"Remember all the great memories together, and we've had a lot, remember them forever," the coach said. "And there are some (memories) I don't want you to remember, too."
A decade removed from when I played high school sports, at that moment I recalled that I couldn't wait for my senior year — including my sports' season — to come to an end. I wanted to get away from the coaches who I didn't see eye to eye with and the teammates I shared nothing in common with.
In the years since, I view all those bad memories — my teams always lost more than they won — in a different light. I enjoy all those moments — even when I was blamed for messing up a teammates' no-hitter with an error — and I'm always nostalgic when I recall something I had long forgotten. (I still argue I was lucky to get a glove on the ball. Didn't anyone see that I dove full extension?)
For those players with tears in their eyes Friday night — as well as the tears to come at the conclusion of the winter and spring schedules — you figured out something it took me years to understand completely.
There is no activity like playing high school sports and representing your school.
Enjoy it. Embrace it while you can. And when it's over, don't be afraid to show how much it meant.
Five things that caught my attention in the past week
1. Signing day memories
While taking photographs of student-athletes signing letters of intent might seem border-line newsworthy, it is one of the best places to hear stories about athletes before they were stars.
My favorite old story rehashed at signing day? Wakefield's Katie Slay talking with her middle school coach Michelle Muster — who attend the ceremony Thursday — about performing on an American Idol contest while waiting out an ice storm.
My second favorite memory overhead? Ravenscroft's Melis Tanik recalling how she befriended teammate and co-captain Olivia Nastasi in eighth-grade math class.
2. Berrios performs nicely on postseason stage
Sophomore QB Austin Berrios came up huge in the Pride's victory Friday, helping Leesville overcome its biggest opposition this fall: injuries. The Capitals made a valiant push late, but they couldn't combat Leesville's back-up QB and his 170-yard rushing performance. He also accounted for 206 of the Pride’s 229 yards of total offense.
Imagine what the Pride could do with a full roster? Hopefully we get to find out.
3. The upset that didn't happen
So Clayton played Wake Forest-Rolesville down to the wire in their regular-season meeting, losing 16-14. And then I mentioned last week the Cougars got "hosed" for having to face the Comets in the first round despite being the Eastern Region's No. 1 seed.
Well, the Cougars made due anyway, rolling to a 55-0 victory.
I feel for any team having to travel to Heritage High to play WF-R this postseason. The Cougars have scored 150 points at home in their last three games.
And all three of those opponents were squads who made the playoffs.
4. The basketball schedule opens up ... now
Yes, basketball season is here, and it arrives officially Tuesday.
Sanderson kicks off with Cary. Millbrook plays Knightdale. Leesville Road battles Green Hope. Check the teams' NorthRaleighSports.com web pages for time and locations.
Wakefield suits up Wednesday, facing Clayton.
Ravenscroft kicks off with the boys and girls' squads hosting Northern Durham Friday.
5. Nice digs
I traveled to Winston-Salem to watch the Wake Forest University football team take on Florida State Saturday, and I was blown away with the facilities at BB&T Stadium. One of the nicest college stadiums I have been in, and I have been in a few.
Sorry, Kenan Memorial Stadium — which is a fine venue — and Wallace-Wade Stadium — below adequate — you guys just can't measure up.
Really, a pizza?
Full disclosure: My uncle and father, who I went to the game with Saturday, are Seminole fans, so I expected a little friendly abuse walking into the game. And to be honest, it was more cordial than I expected.
Best part of the day though was an inebriated student — in a Charlotte Hornets' Alonzo Mourning jersey circa 1994 — haphazardly tossed a piece of pizza in the direction of my father. He wasn't so much aiming for my dad, but more attempting to be funny.
It was. But it totally wasn't worth sacrificing a piece of pizza.
Best play I say in person last week
Wakefield QB Connor Mitch, after missing a month with injury, wasn't totally on his game Friday, completing just 12 of 25 attempts. But twice he hit running back Denzel Brown in the second half with great precision, including on play for 35 yards. On the pass, Mitch beautifully led Brown downfield, slipping a pass over the top of the Trojan defender.
After watching it from the sidelines, defensive tackle Will Butler called it a "perfect pass."
Quote of the week
"That was a killer."
Wakefield football coach J.D. Dinwiddie talking about Garner gaining 56 yards on a fourth-and-1 play from their own 39-yard line. The Juwon Moye run set up the Trojans' first of two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Did you see this?
I watched hours of football Sunday afternoon, but I missed this highlight, and I don't know how. In the fourth quarter against the Jets Sunday, Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew took a knee at the one-yard line to help kill the clock instead of score a touchdown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fVn8TE2XM
Talk about a heads-up play.
Ironically, Jones-Drew later apologized to the fantasy football owners who hated the call.
Speaking of which...
This week's fantasy football note
I totally rolled my opponent this week, which means nothing to you, but gives me great joy. And my new best friend, the Washing Redskin's Ladell Betts, thumped Denver for 114 yards and a touchdown. Thank goodness no one in my league checks the wavier wire before Wednesday.
Keep an eye on Seattle's Justin Forestt, who racked up 123 yards at Arizona in place of injured running back Julius Jones.
Random thought
"I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea."
I'm sure by now you have seen one of the million Windows 7 commercials in rotation, and I understand that Microsoft is trying to distance itself from Vista, but I'm over it already.
And I really hate all its product placement through all of the football games this weekend.
Though the 7 second demos are not bad. I will give them that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGth7i2lCXY
E-mail your thoughts to tommy@northraleighsports.com.
